This item originally appeared in the April 21, 2005 issue of The Tech Talk.

By MARY LYNNE O'NEAL

Staff Writer

Jessica Zadlo, a graduate student of art, won Best in Show for her piece titled "Store Front: Fresh Meat," and four other students were awarded first place for their work in studio art, photography, communication design and core art classes at the opening reception for the Student Art Show April 13.

"I would display any of this artwork before anyone in the United States," Dean Dablow, the director of the School of Art and a professor of art, said. "The [artwork is] exceptional."

Dablow said the pieces represent an overview of programs the School of Art offers, even the most basic art classes.

First place winners are as follows: Jessie Tucker, a junior studio art major -- Core award for "Bipolar;" Greg Smith, a junior communication design major -- Communication Design award for "Mary Presents Purity;" Amber Cardinale, a senior studio art major -- Studio award for "Sparkle Horse;" Jude Landry, a graduate student in art -- Graduate Work award for "Self-Portrait;" and Zadlo -- Best of Show award for "Store Front: Fresh Meat."

Ten other students from all areas of art won honorable mention awards that night for their talents.

Mary Louise Carter, the director of the galleries and an assistant professor of art, said art students could submit up to eight pieces each to be considered for the displays, and faculty narrowed down the finalists to be displayed in the Tech and E.J. Bellocq Galleries for the annual show.

"It's great for the students because it gives them a taste of what it's like to show their work to the public and get recognition for it," Carter said.

Guest judge Sue Prudhomme, the director for the Masur Museum in Monroe, reviewed everyone's artwork in both galleries for the best-of awards in each category.

Zadlo, the Best of Show winner, said she was honored to win best of show among all of the other entries. "I was really surprised to win based on all of the other people," Zadlo said. "The art show was one of the best I've seen, and I've been here for six years."

Zadlo said she gave herself three days to complete her piece, using advertising as a subject for fine art. The three pictures look exactly like grocery store advertisements in a newspaper, with bright red, pink and brown painting pictures of meat on poster paper.

Aubri Young, a freshman communication design major, submitted two pieces of artwork for the show, both displayed in the E.J. Bellocq Gallery. One is a drawing of downtown Little Rock, Ark., and the other is a drawing of the William J. Clinton Presidential Library, also in Little Rock. Both drawings are done in prisma color, a type of colored pencil.

"I really like the colored pencil drawings and the sculptures," Young said. "This is a great opportunity for students to add to their resumes, and it's also a good self-esteem builder."

The Tech Gallery holds most of the students' artwork, which includes a poster advertising the Student Show, sculptures, self-portraits, photographs of places or people, paintings on canvas and a poster advertising the Red Cross with small hearts representing people who perished in the tsunami tragedy.

The E.J. Bellocq Gallery, located adjacent to the Tech Gallery, displays what looks like a broken and worn-in picket fence with newspaper headlines and cut-outs of words such as "war," "crime" and "terrorism" glued to it and red paint splatters representing blood.

The Student Art Show will be displayed in the galleries until April 27. Admission is free, and the galleries are open weekdays from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.